


The Ice Prince and his Fairy

by jolliapplegirl



Series: Incompetent Systems [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, BL, Fantasy, Friends to Lovers, Gay, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possessive Behavior, Slow Burn, Transmigration, Transported to another world, Yaoi, dense MC, transmigrate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2019-08-14 01:34:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16483568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jolliapplegirl/pseuds/jolliapplegirl
Summary: Qin Rong is your regular, every day man. Goes to work, pays his bills and watches soap operas under cover of night.He is also a elite mercenary for hire. (Gotta pay those bills somehow)On one mission, he is shot in the back by an unknown ally and dies only to wake up in the body of a strange, malnourished child. Escaping his captors, he meets an young noble, befriends him and later leaves to get back into the mercenary business. Yet how is it that  once cute and innocent child ended up growing up to be such a devious person?**QR: Don't die~ML: I won't if you stay with me.QR: Don't use your life as a bargaining chip!ML: Then I guess I'll just go on with-QR: O-okay, okay, I'll stay with you!!ML: It's your words. Don't take them back.QR: ...





	1. Normal Day

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer:  
> Several things to note before coming in.
> 
> 1: This is taking place in a more western world despite the Chinese MC because... really, it was best fit. Putting him in a Chinese style setting complicated things and I didn't feel like going that route.
> 
> 2: This is technically part of my Incompetent Systems series but don't sweat it. All the tales are stand alone save for the last so it's cool.
> 
> 3: I'm going to try my hand at making some action happen in this story so hopefully that works out.
> 
> 4: There will be smut (meaning the sexy times in which sex happens between two men). Honestly, I didn't think I'd need to point that out but apparently, all the other kool kidz are doing the disclaimers so who am I to deviate?
> 
> 5: This isn't a translation (I'm not that smart). This is my original work. I felt I should point that out for clarities sake. If you guys want, check out the other story in this series (also my original story) called 'Making my Naive Master Love only Me' or MNMLM for short.

“You second-lead-syndrome loser!” A young girl cried out, her words echoing far past the room she resided in.

“Oi, don’t go acting like you don’t feel the same way, Yanli.” Lin An, an older woman stated, confident and sure as she spoke. “We both know compared to Se-Yeon, Min-Hyuk is a much better match for the female lead.”

“Se-Yeon saw her first plus he even let himself get poisoned by the green tea bitch of a concubine, Yoo-Ri just to save her despite their fight.” The girl countered, her heart thumping as she recalled the scene in vivid detail. “How much more manly and cool could he get?”

“Psh, like that’s anything compared to General Se-Yeon. He also tossed aside his home and position to save Hae-Sook from that insidious bitch’s plot to frame her for that murder.” Lin An said, waving Yanli’s counter like a fly. “Min-Hyuk was totally on that bitches side despite how much time the leads spent getting to know each other.” The young girl slammed her hands on the table, greatly aggrieved at the older woman’s words.

“It wasn’t his fault! Eunuch Kwan had been sowing so many seeds of doubt that Min-Hyuk had no way of knowing what was true anymore!”

“Bullshit!” A third women, Han Ming, interjected. “That whole plot line was just a ruse to introduce a new love interest into the fold despite Min-Hyuk and Hae-Sook already being so close. Why else would General Se-Yeon have never shown up before that point?”

To those who listened to the conversation (cough-shipping war-cough), one might assume the women in question were arguing over a novel. One of those cheesy, dime a dozen novels about reborn female leads who travels back in time to become the most coveted woman by many men who, before that point, were content with literally no one else. But they would be wrong. The subject of their shipping war was of a worse form of degeneracy.

Serial dramas.

These women were major fans of a drama that had split the internet fan base in half. It turned sister against sister, mother against daughter and co-worker against co-worker. There are those who claim internet shipping wars were brutal but it was nothing compared to a face to face argument. Hands flew and words were said that made those of weaker hearts give up their ship in shame.

This is the scene that Lin Qin Rong walked in on. His male co-workers tried to warn him, telling him to take his break elsewhere or he’d end up being dragged into the dispute. Apparently, when a stalemate was met, it was policy to drag a man into the discussion, whether or not he’d watched the show. Ignoring their warning, cause his phone needed to be charged and the only outlet was in the break room, he walked in just as the three were about to get loud.

“Ah…” Qin Rong flinched as their gaze hit him, feeling cornered and somewhat regretting entering the room. “I...should just get going and leave you ladies t-

"Don’t take another step! Tell us, who is a better fit for the female lead in {Under Summers Gaze}, Prince Min-Hyuk or General Se-Yeon?” They demanded, pinning him to the spot. While he wished he could just run, he knew there was no escape. He’d been painted with a target. Even if he ran now, they’d just corner him again and again until he answered.

“...Fine.” He sighed, walking to sit between them. He needed to charge his phone anyway. He had an important call he was waiting for. The three women stared him down, waiting for his answer. “To be honest, I kind of like Min-Jun as her partner rather than General Se-Yeon or Prince Min-Hyuk.” He stated, shocking the three women. Not really because of his knowledge of the show, but for his actual statement.

“What?!” They both cried out.

“Another second-lead-syndrome!?” Yanli marveled.

“To be fair, it would be third lead syndrome.” Han Ming corrected.

“He’s practically a background character!” Lin An countered, ignoring Qin Rong’s pout. Honestly, this was why he stayed out of shipping wars but when else would he get the chance to talk about this stuff?

“Yeah, but he’s the only one who stands by Hae-Sook side no matter what.” He defended, relaxing in his seat. “When she wanted to run away to help her family,  Min-Jun is the one to help her. When she needs to come up with a plan, the one she asks first is him too. Plus she actually remains intelligent when talking to Min-Jun.

“Eh?” They echoed, confused. This brought Qin Rong’s fanboy self to the surface.

“Surely you guys noticed it too, right?” He asked, not waiting for a reply before continuing. “How the female lead is so oblivious to the feelings of both male leads? They shower her with gifts and compliments and yet she brushes them off like air. Like friends do the things they do for her. She’s smart enough to uncover the vast conspiracy spanning decades but misses when the male lead is jealous of her proximity to General Se-Yeon?! What kind of conveniently dense protagonist is that!?” He vented, clenching his fist in frustration.

“Hey, don’t be so rude.” Lin An countered, watching him with amusement. “Love is complex and sometimes it comes up in various ways.”

“But to be so dense about?”

“As if you’d fare any better.” Han Ming snorted, earning another glare from Qin Rong.

“I totally would.” He stated, lounging back in the chair to show off his looks, which were fairly decent. “Watch how the next time a girl comes onto me, I show off my skills.”

“Oh yeah, nothing screams ‘take me now’ like a 20-something working at Wonderburger*.” Yanli snickers, watching Qin Rong glared at her fruitlessly.

(AN: I made up a burger joint. Think McDonalds meets… IDK, SmashBurger)

The trio smiled back at him, enjoying the look on his face. Qin Rong, burger flipper he was, was indeed handsome. Not model handsome but handsome enough to turn heads from both genders. And he noticed too yet never tried to reciprocate anyone’s feelings. Looking at him, Yanli and Lin An couldn’t help but just enjoy the view. Han Ming, being married, just smiled with amusement.

At the duo’s admiring gaze, Qin Rong couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Most men would be over be overjoyed to have the attention of two beautiful women. Unfortunately for him, his work place was made up of two types of females: Teenagers who needed a part-time job and older women in need of a part-time job. As such, the two women were either too young to legally even look at or old enough to be his mother.

That is to say, if he had a mother.

Shaking off the unpleasant thought, he turned to women, who were glad to find a fellow USG fan in their workplace. The group spent the break talking over various plot points, crack ships and other good shows to binge watch. Time flew as their break soon came to an end. Just as Qin Rong was about to recommend another show, his phone rang. Seeing the who was calling, his expression changed.

“Senior Rong? Who is it?” Yanli asked, noting the change in atmosphere. He turned to them with a smile, the aura having faded just as quickly as it appeared.

“It just a friend of mine.” He stated, standing up. “If you’ll excuse me.” He then turned and walked out, parts of his conversation echoing. The two women watched him leave, curiosity burning in their eyes but suppressed by etiquette.

“Senior Rong has friends?” Yanli asked, confused. She’d never seen the man with anyone in any friendly way. In fact, their conversation just then was the only time she recalled him being friendly with any of their co-workers.

“Perhaps he’s beginning to open up a bit?” Han Ming suggested, smiling wisely. She was happy that the young man was being a bit more open. He was very quiet and somewhat distant, hence why he wasn’t a cashier despite his looks.

“Hopefully, he’ll smile more.” The younger girl said, blushing a bit at the memory of him smiling. It was so cute!!! Ah, how handsome!!!

 

*****

 

Meanwhile, Qin Rong spoke on the phone, passing by his co-workers who ignored him. They always did but he still felt the need to speak ‘code’.

“I’ve been waiting for your call all day, bro.” He said, a small smile on his face. “What are we playing tonight?”

“...You’re not alone?” The voice on the other end asked, noting the code. The voice was garbled and distorted, hiding the identity of the caller.

“Nope, I’m at work but I can swing by if you want?” He said, his words meaning [I have nothing in the way.]

(AN: The brackets are the meaning of his code-speak.)

“Good, we have another mission for you.”

“Another game session? Awesome! Solo or co-op?” [Another mission? Will I be working alone?]

"No, you’ll be working in a team. You are to defer to them.”

“Ah, I’m being paired up with a bunch of noobs?” [Do I know them?]

“You’ve worked with them before.” The voice assured him, sounding annoyed.

“I guess it’s fine but the game better be fun or I’m out.” [What’s the mission and payout]

“I’ll send the information to you via the usual means.” The voice said, the sound of clicking faintly in the background. “I’ll expect you to have it done as soon as possible.”

“Kay, see ya later.” [Got it.]

Qin Rong told his manager he had to head out and was soon rushing home. Finally! He got another mission. He was running low on cash and working at Wonderburger* barely paid for his groceries, let alone his rent. It was evening by the time he reached home.

Entering his dingy apartment, Qin Rong went over to his closet and took out his hidden laptop. Powering it up took seconds and after some code breaking, he successfully got through his encryption. Due to the nature of his night job, he couldn’t just leave his laptop with no defenses. It wasn’t a genius level encryption but it was enough that the regular run of the mill hacker would find nothing strange.

In the usual place, he found a message from his boss. Another mission, this time requiring him to travel a bit. He sighed, a bit upset that he’d have to skip out on work and probably get fired. He liked the job, cover or not. Plus he finally found some folks to talk about dramas with.

Speaking off, since he would be out of the country, he should probably set his favorite shows to record so when he came back, he could comfortably binge watch the new episodes. He might not be able to discuss it with his co-workers but at least he’ll know how the story ends.


	2. Waking up dead

Waking up, Qin Rong felt strange, like he was there but not. He struggled to open his eyes but only found himself staring into a misty void. Where was he? Thinking back, he realized the truth fairly quick.

He died.

Trying to recall how, he looked back on how his last day had started. It all began in that damn taxi, didn't it.

***

"Where to, sir?" The taxi driver asked, looking back at the man in his back seat. It was a Asian guy, a rare sight in country K. He was pretty like the few he'd seen on TV but less soft. He looked cold as ice.

Staring down at his phone, Qin Rong was still trying to find a signal. Country K had terrible reception at times and his data plan could only manage so much interference. Still, he had places to be so he just handed the driver a piece of paper, acting like he couldn't understand him. The older man bought it, muttering something about 'dumb tourists' and the like. Qin Rong couldn't help but agree. Tourist were dumb.

They trusted the word of folks clearly out for their money, went to the publicly advertised places rather than the local joints that served way better food for a better price and went to events that even locals never went to cause it was too much of a hassle. They clogged up streets and made life so much harder since they rarely knew how to travel without their eyes glued to google maps.

(AN: Bask in my inner New Yorker pet peeves.)

Luckily, Qin Rong was by no means, a tourist. He wasn't local but he knew the streets of country K better than those born an raised in its borders. This day, he had business to get to. And the first part was to get to his meeting place, on time.

Trouble was, everything that could go wrong, did. His flight got delayed several times, his bags got mixed up with some other peoples and it took him over an hour to get a taxi. He didn't even understand why. Country K was not a summer getaway for anyone. Who the fuck was coming here!?

Huffing, the young man looked around, checking his mental map to make sure he was on the right path to the meeting spot. His client had wanted him to go to some ritzy hotel. That was pretty normal. Most of his clients were super rich and had their secretaries or whatever pass the mission on in person. Folks were smarter now and phones could be tapped.

Looking around, however, he noticed he was not where he should be. In fact, his driver seemed to have driven him into a bad neighborhood. From the darkened alleyways, he could spot a few eager faces, waiting for fresh meat.

Keeping his head down, Qin Rong looked up to see the driver leering at him from the mirror. He was on the phone, talking to someone about 'picking up another one' and 'how much he could get off an Asian'.

Qin Rong quietly sighed, more annoyed than anything. He really didn't have time for this! He was already running late and he didn't want to have to deal with this. Still, it'd be for the best to take care of things now rather than let this slime ball continue. He quietly undid his seat belt, watching the man continue to watch the road.

Pretending to stretch his body, he reached into his shirt for a weapon. The driver was too distracted by the brief flash of skin his action provided to notice wire pulled from his clothes. Before he could notice, Qin Rong wrapped the wire around his neck and pulled, pinning him to the head rest.

As expected, the driver tried to fight him off, using his fingers to claw at his neck and try and free himself. With the car now driving without any direction, the young man quickly pulled back, the fine wire slicing the man's neck and leaving him to bleed out.

Not waiting for the car to crash, Qin Rong kicked open the car door and rolled onto the street. Soon after he recovered, he heard a loud crash. He didn't have to look to know what it was. Still, it was best to make sure.

Looking over the scene, the car was wrapped around a phone pole and slowly catching flame. Their eager and wary eyes watching him drifted away, now seeing him as not worth the trouble. With the unspoken treaty in place, Qin Rong strolled down the street eager to get to his appointment.

"Ugh.. I hate this..." He grumbled, striding down the street.

***

When he finally did arrive at his destination, the sun had just began to set. Obviously, he could have caught another cab rather than walking but he didn't have anymore money to use. He was low on funds and if he had the cash, he wouldn't have needed this job in the first place.

"God, please make it a interesting job or I might just go and get a normal job." He grumbled, walking in to the 5 star hotel. As one could expect, a 20-something dressed in shorts and a slightly singed Hawaiian shirt did catch some stares but a single cold glare at those bastards got them to mind their damn business.

"Tch." He walked to the desk, not expecting the receptionist to address him at all. "Hey, I need to-"

"I'm sorry, sir, but are you lost?" Before the receptionist could open her mouth, another man interrupted her. The man was well dressed, as was everyone and his tagged named him the manager. "If you'd like, I can direct you to the right hotel."

"This is K City hotel, right?" He asked, his eyes on the receptionist rather than the manager. She looked a bit troubled, probably unsure if she should answer or not.

"Indeed, it is, sir." The manager replied, his tone tight and restrained so as not to snap at the rude young man. "So as I said, if you're lost I can-"

"Then I'm right where I need to be." He replied, cocking a hip. He really didn't have time for this. He was already late as it was.

The two stared at one another, the manager clearly feigning understanding and Qin Rong blatantly annoyed. Like an entitled teen, he leaned on the counter and address the receptionist, who nervous say between them.

"You mind calling up a Mr Coyote?" He asked, ignoring the fuming manager. "He's expecting me."

Having had enough of this farce, the manager stood up straight, opening his mouth to demand the young man leave or else he'd call security.

Before the first threat could be spoken, a voice rang out.

"Imp, is that you?!" All three people turned to the new faces, each showing a different expression.

The receptionist was awestruck, her heart racing and her face red at the sight of this gorgeous men. Surely, they must be some kind of movie star or model!

The manager was pale faced and panicked, feeling his life was over. This man was THE Mr Stark, one of their VIPS. He came to only the best hotels and his endorsement propelled a business into stardom or tore them down until there was nothing left.

And he'd disrespected a possible friend of his.

Qin Rong on the other hand looked pissed off. Stepping forward, Qin Rong grabbed the second man by the collar and glared up at him.

“What the hell, Coyote!” He snarled, looking livid. “Don’t use that name in front of others!” He scolded, earning only a confident smirk from the man. Coyote, an american with a cocky attitude, showed no shame as he swatted Qin Rong’s hand away.

“No need to get all pissy, Imp.” He retorted, moving past him. “Boss man pays for discretion. I doubt anyone will think anything of your little moniker.” He finished with a smirk.

Without a word, Qin Rong flipped him the bird and walked behind him, letting the asshole lead him to their room. All the while, Mr Stark spoke to the manager and receptionist. Whatever was said seemed to get them to let the matter go and go on about their business.

Soon all three of them stood in the elevator, the faint music being the only reprieve from the deafening silence. Mr stark was looking down at his phone, probably letting the others know he’d finally arrived while Coyote just smirked to himself, probably daydreaming about something stupid.

All the while, Qin Rong stewed in his own misery, cursing these men and all their ancestors.

 _Why were they so damn tall!?_  He inwardly raged as he stood between them, his head only reaching on of the men’s shoulders. As expected by his codename, Imp, he was generally smaller than most men. It was fine at home since most of his coworkers were women whose height was about the same as his but as soon as he left, he was surrounded by god damn giants.

If I ever get another chance at life, I’d better be taller than I am now! He thought, scowling deeply.

From what little he’d been told, he’d figured he’d be working with 2 people he’d met before. Coyote was one, a westerner who loved to make fun of him due to his height but quickly shut his mouth when a blade was pressed against his balls.

They’d worked together twice before and each time, Qin Rong wanted to kill him. He was loud and annoying but too damn good at his job to just kill him outright. His strength made up for all of Qin Rong’s weaknesses.

They were, after all, mercenaries so a wide variety of skill sets was needed for any given mission. Whether it was assassinations, retrieval or sabotage, Qin Rong had had his hand in something bloody. The amount of blood on his hands could fill most lakes.

All this is a short (not short) cute (absolutely not cute!) oriental man of only 27 years of age.

Arriving on their floor, Qin Rong was curious as to who his second partner would be. Would it be Salamander, the weapons expert? Or maybe it was Cobra, the poison master what still owed him $20?

Yet what greeted them was a face that might topple countries if it wasn’t for everything that ever left her lips.

“Well well well, look what Coyote found.” The beautiful redhead teased, cocking a brow. He clothes were high class, the very opposite of Qin Rong’s hoodie and jeans. Her waist and hips curved in just the right way, encouraging men of all ages to embrace her and hold her tight. “Our long lost Imp.”

Qin Rong, however, saw through all the charm and beauty and knew her to be a major, unrelenting bitch. She was also a well known hacker, codename: Phish, for her skills at breaking into systems like one logs into their computer. As her fingers danced over a keyboard, the world opened up before her, revealing all their secrets.

“...Fish, I see you haven’t…” He looked her up and down, his face showing distaste. She still was too… much for him to deal with so she was definitely not his type. “Changed. Still can’t get a date? Or even a fuck buddy?”

“Fuck you!” She snapped, stomping her foot. It was a well known fact that despite her looks, she rarely kept up a relationship for long enough to tell anyone about it. The last time they worked together, she’d mentioned that she had just began dating someone after 2 previous breakups.

The time before that, it was only a couple weeks.

“Yeah, sorry, I’m not that desperate.” He retorted, walking past her. They were about the same height but her heels made her just a bit over his head.

“You!” She screeched, glaring at the back of his head as he entered the hotel room.

Children, behave yourselves. You are supposed to be professionals, not bickering infants.

“I was behaving myself.” Coyote interjected, shamelessly raising his hand like a teachers pet. Mr Stark silently stared back before the man’s hand went down. “Sorry.”

“Now about your mission.” Mr Stark started, walking around the large table moved to the center of the room. It had a single paper roll on it. It unfurled to reveal the blueprints of a large facility. He turned out the lights, letting the single table lamp illuminate the room. His eyes remained hidden behind his glasses as he spoke. “It’s simply this: You are to enter this facility, kill the target and retrieve the item. Any questions?”

“Are we doing this one at a time or all at once?” Coyote asked, noticing that the expected position of the target and the item were very far apart. Doing it one at a time would be time consuming and make them more likely to get caught.

“Your choice, “Mr Stark replied, not looking up. “but I would suggest doing so at the same time.” Qin Rong frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

“So we’d be splitting our forces.” He stated, thinking it over. “Will just the three of us be enough?” He was worried that this might be hard to pull off alone. Usually they’d at least have a B team to distract the guards or at least take some of them out so entering wasn’t an issue. A facility of this size was bound to have a lot of guards.

“The client wishes for discretion so any more than this would raise alarms.” Mr Stark explained.

“Fine, then I’ll kill the target and Imp with go for the package.” Coyote said, raising a hand. Qin Rong had no issue with this. While he was good at both thief and assassination, Coyote was only good at killing so he might as well take the hard job.

“And Phish?” He asked, watching the silent woman raise a dainty finger.

“I’ll be on standby.” She said, pointing to some place a distance away from the facility. “While you guys are inside, I’ll toy with the cameras to make sure your aren’t noticed.”

“Who will cover our escape?”

“I will.” The beauty spoke up again, smirking. “I’ve got some sniper training since we met last.”

“All that between binge eating Ben & Jerry’s?” Qin Rong muttered, a faint smile on his face. As expected, Phish exploded.

“Fuck off, you midget!”

“Children!” Mr Stark snapped, his voice cold and commanding. “Behave. Any other questions?”

“When are we heading out?”

“Tomorrow night.” He replied, adjusting his glasses. “Be done by morning.”

“Got it!” Three voices echoed, their tone professional and confident.

***

The mission was supposed to be simple. Get in, take out the target, retrieve the package and get out.

Yet how often does one’s plans actually go so smoothly?

***

The next evening, the mission had started and they’d already hit a hurdle.

It was raining.

The facility they were breaking into was in the middle of a dirt field, making it easy to spot anyone coming. It was why they chose to go at night as opposed to daytime. There was more cover.

Yet the rain complicated things since all the mud and water would slow them down. Not to mention that them entering the place wet was bound to leave traces of them.

“Should we postpone the mission?” Coyote asked, looking out from their hiding spot meters away. He was surveying the area around the facility. Due to the rain, there were less guards outside but the the weather all so made it hard to tell what other security measures might be in place.

“If we did that, we might miss our chance.” Qin Rong pointed out, securing his equipment. Since he was just stealing, he didn’t feel the need to carry a lot. Just a standard army knife should be enough. “We don’t know when the target and the package will be in the same place again.”

“Plus our client wants this done tonight so we have to go forward.” Phish pointed out, her voice crisp and clear through their earpieces. As a hacker, Phish was close enough to get into the facility's network but nowhere near the action. Once both Coyote and Qin Rong’s objectives were complete, she was to take up a sniper to cover them.

But again, the rain complicated things.

“We are professionals.” Qin Rong proclaimed, decked out in his weather gear. “We’ll get the job done.”

***

Entering the facility was, as expected difficult. Qin Rong had no clue how Coyote got in but he had to sneak in through the vents on the roof. Which meant he had to scale the side of the build.

In the rain.

Without being seen.

Had he mentioned that the facility was seven stories high? No? Well it was indeed, that high. Several times, he had to dodge the floodlights surveying the area, losing him some distance, making the whole task so much harder.

When he finally did get to the top, 20 minutes had passed and he had been informed by the jovial Coyote that he was already on his way in. He’d even asked if Qin Rong had gotten in yet.

“...Just do your damn job.” He snapped, hoping to be heard over the rain pelting down on him. Coyote snickered and Qin Rong just muted him as he snuck in through the vents.

As expected, for such a large building, the vents were large enough for him to fit. He was small so even if a regular adult would find it cramped, he had plenty of space. Plus all the water made it easy to slide through.

He was sliding down a vent when he heard a voice.

“You in yet, Imp?” Phish asked through his earpiece, clearly impatient. “Coyote is already tracking the target down.”

“Seven stories. In the rain.” He whisper-yelled at her. He couldn’t afford for his voice to echo.

“And you call yourself a professional.” She snorted. Qin Rong said nothing, landing softly at the bottom of the shaft. “Oh hey, head up, I see some heat signatures.”

“Below me?” He asked, thinking there might be guards nearby.

“No. In front of you.” She said, sounding confused. The sound of rapid typing echoed through the earpiece before she shouted. “Oh, shit, get out of there now!”

With practiced ease, Qin Rong found an exit point and slipped out just as the vent was filled with flames. Had he hesitated a second more, he’d have burned alive. Despite the near death experience, Qin Ron was more confused than scared.

“Flames? Seriously!?” He said, wanting to face palm so bad. “Who puts flamethrowers in a vent!?”

"Why are you asking me?" Phish retorted, clearly annoyed at all the chatter. "Just get moving, Imp."

"Kay~" He sighed, stretching to get ready. In front of him was a long corridor. There was cameras around but the light was flashing pink, so he knew Phish had them under her control. “Where am I now?”

“Fifth floor, hallway… 8.” She replied, more clicking sounding over their connection. “The package is 2 floors below you, room number 1342-k.”

“Got it, I’ll take the elevator.” He ran down the hall, careful to keep an ear out for guards.

“Or you could take the stairs, since it’s closer.”

“That’ll take too long.” He whispered back, looking around the corner and spotting two guards with their backs to him. Quietly, he ran up at them, sliding his knife from its sheath and stabbing one of the men in the back. As the other pulled out his gun, Qin Rong shoved the man forward, using him as a shield.

A single gunshot rang out before Qin Rong managed to slit their throats. The bullet had lodged itself into the first guard, knocking the breath from him. He took a minute to make sure reinforcements weren’t coming before hiding the bodies.

Despite it being a quick fight, Qin Rong was impatient. He’d fallen behind and if he failed the secure the package before the target was taken out, escape would be difficult.

Hence his rush to the stairs when he noticed that the elevator was card key activated.

This was just not his day!

When he did manage to find the room he needed, the package was in the center of a large empty room on a small platform. It was in a small red box, just as described in the mission statement. Cocking a brow, Qin Rong took out a spray bottle and let it out around the room. As expected, a laser grid. Probably actual lasers too, if this day was going to get any worse.

“No time to waste.” He muttered, stretching his muscles. There was quite a distance from the door to the platform. Taking a run start, the young man leapt into the grid, his body twisting and flipping through the beams with ease.

It was because of this, his agility and flexibility that his moniker was imp, much to his chagrin. While he hated the name, his skilled allowed him to survive in his field for as long as he did.

He reached the platform, using a glass cutter to carve out a space for him to snatch the package. Much to his surprise, it was a plain silver bracelet. Not at all what he was expecting.

As soon as e touched the cool metal, he heard a voice, not of Phish or himself but a child’s voice. Small and weak, pleading.

_‘I want to go home…’_

The voice whispered in his ear, distracting him for just a moment. In that moment, his hand slipped and the bracelet slipped from his fingers.

The world went red as the alarms blared on. Qin Rong, snapped from his daze, grabbed the bracelet, slipping it onto his wrist for safekeeping, and ran out, heading back to the roof where they were to be extracted.

He’d muted Coyote, so he had no clue where the man was. He could only hope he’d taken out the target. Trip to the roof was difficult, with Qin Rong having to fight off several guards with guns barehanded. His knife couldn’t do much against men in bullet proof vests.

After a long haul to the roof, Qin Rong found himself alone on the roof, the rain pelting down on him. He was bleeding from a wound he’d sustained from the fight before and leaned against a nearby wall. He felt a bit safer, knowing Phish should have her sniper rifle out to cover them.

“H-hey, Phish, what's the ETA on our extraction?” He panted out, waiting for a reply. When he received nothing but silence, he tried again. “Hey? Phish, are you there? What's the ETA on-”

“Sorry.”

That was the last thing he heard before a gunshot sounded, before pain exploded through him. Before the rain covered up his cry of pain.

He didn’t even get a chance to turn around before another shot rang out, bringing with it, only darkness.

He’d died, stabbed in the back by his partners.

Yet his last thought was about how he’d never get to see how his favorite drama would end.


	3. Waking up Reborn

Thinking back, Qin Rong couldn't help but think of all the stuff he'd miss out on now that he was dead.

All those manga and comics he'd never finish.

All the TV shows left unwatched.

All the foods he was too poor to eat.

Not having the chance to snap the neck of that bastard that killed him.

That's what bothered him the most. He knew it was someone on their team that did it. He couldn't be sure who since there was a lot of people there. Was it Phish, the snippy bitch or maybe it was that pervert, Coyote. Heck, it might have even been Mr Stark, just to cut ties with him.

It was hard to say and he knew he'd never learn who killed him. It was frustrating but such was life. Or death, in this case.

Speaking off, he was a bit confused. He'd been aware of his floating status but he'd never heard of a afterlife that subsisted solely on floating in a void. Was it like one of those novels where souls got picked up by systems and were sent off to do tasks?

But if that was the case, where was his welcome party?

With that, Qin Rong called out, trying to get anyone to respond. After many tries, he stopped, getting bored of the useless endeavor and chose to relax. He might as well if there was noting else to do.

Minutes turned to hours into days and perhaps years but still no one came.

Qin Rong remained calm, used to being alone and isolated so it wasn't much. It was just boring.

After what felt like a decade, a light appeared before him, a faint voice speaking distantly. He couldn't hear the words but they sounded pissed. Just as the light consumed him, a second voice called out.

[Ah shit, wait a sec-]

***

Qin Rong felt weak.

Everything hurt and his body felt like it was near death. Something was caked on his face and smell made him want to puke. The only reason he hadn't was that there was nothing to vomit out.

Panting, Qin Rong tried to calm himself, as he'd learned to do as a child and figure out what was happening. Going from an empty void to pain and hunger was startling to say the least.

Slowing his breaths, he tried to listen out for anyone. After a minute, he could almost make out wind, but it was faint which meant he must be indoors. His hands had been twitching for a while, so he knew he was lying on a stone floor, the only part of which that was warm was the place his bare chest was on. Everything else was cold, so most likely, he was either in a basement or in a cave but he was weighing in favor of the former. The stones were clearly bricks.

After minutes of struggling, Qin Rong gained the strength to roll over onto his back, wincing as pain laced through him. Open fucking wounds on his back!

Biting his lip, he suppressed a scream of pain as he struggled to get upright. The exercise was, as expected, painful but worth it. His head was muddled from hunger and possibly head injury, but he couldn't be sure until he got a look at himself.

Where the hell was he? He wondered, trying to wipe whatever was on his face. It was wet and smelled gross but it was a smell he knew.

Rotting food and puke.

Where ever he was, they'd tossed rotting food to a starving person. This person had probably tried to eat it and then puked it out when they got sick. Qin rong would have felt disgusted if not for the cruelty of such a action.

Just how desperate for food had this person been?

Finally cleaning his face off, Qin Rong took a look around the room he was in. It was dark and dank, so he was definitely in a basement. Possibly a prisoner considering the condition. It wasn't a large room and single source of light was a window a couple meters above him.

It was night time. The moon shone through the window, illuminating the room somewhat. It wasn’t a very large room but one he could walk and stand in. A couple feet away was a large door.

When he went over to try and open the door, he noticed how big everything was compared to him. His hands were tiny compared to what he assumed was a regular sized door.

Was he a child?!

Recalling that misty place he’d been floating in, he concluded that things were strange right now and he’d have to figure out just how strange later. First, he needed to escape.

He felt around the door, trying to find the hinges so he could just undo them. As expected from a prison, they were on the outside. He didn’t bother to call out for help either, since if he was locked inside, he doubted that one ones who did so would care enough to let him go.

As his stomach screamed out in hunger, Qin Rong pushed it aside and tried to think of a way out. So far the only way out was the window but it was really high up. He could scale and jump the wall but in such a weak body, it’d be difficult.

Should he wait for his wardens to return or run?

Before he could come to a decision, he heard voices closing in. There were two of them and they sounded like older men. Wary, Qin Rong took up a look around the room, hoping to spot something that could block the door but the place was empty.

“Damn.” He whispered, his first words in this world very fitting of his character.

His eyes landed on the window once more. The space between the bars looked large enough to fit a child so perhaps…

“Hope the runts not dead yet.” One of the men complained from outside. “Not worth much if it’s a corpse.”

 _This child already died, you bastards!_ Qin Ron glared at the door, wanting so badly to beat the shit out of those men who spoke so flippantly about a kid. How scary it must have been, to be trapped in such a dark place and yet still try to hard to survive.

And still die anyway.

His rage helped him move as he ran at the wall, his light body zooming across the short distance. Before he hit the wall, he jumped pushing himself off the wall higher. With expert precision, he soon reached the window, dangling from the edge.

As expected, his body was weak from hunger so it took a moment to get up and through the bars. In that short span of time, the door to his prison opened.

“Rise and shine, ya litt- H-hey, where did it go!?” The man shouted, his voice a lot closer than before. From below, he continued to shout. “Get down here, you little worm!”

For reasons unknown, Qin Rong felt his neck burn. He cried out, scratching at his skin as he slipped between the bars onto the grass outside. Despite the pain, he continued forward, crawling away until the voices faded.

Even then he continued forward, his steps unsteady as he tried to get further away. He didn’t understand what had happened before but he was not going to stick around.

He found himself in a forest, the trees towering over him and protecting him from sight. Leaning against a tree, he tried to catch his breath, his throat still burning slightly from whatever had occurred before.

Qin Rong couldn’t feel anything there but figured it might be something internal. A microchip, perhaps?

No, things looked a bit medieval for that. Or maybe his wardens were old fashioned? It was hard to say.

“I think it went this way.”

“Shit.” He muttered, crouching down. He hadn’t expected them to find him so quick. He was small and weak but nimble so he’d hoped he’d gotten far enough.

No such luck.

So he ran on stick thin legs and an empty stomach, somehow evaded his pursuers until he reached a cliff. Far below him, he could hear the crashing waves of a river below him.

He considered jumping but to brave rapids in the dead of night was surely suicide, especially with a body as weak as his. Cornered, he searched for a means of escape but was quickly found by his captors.

“No where else to hide, little brat.” One man sneered, a rope hanging from his hands as the second man blocked off his only other route of escape. Both were masked by darkness but Qin Rong could already tell he was outmatched. They were adults and he was a child with no weapons or time to come up with a plan.

So he did the next best thing.

He jumped.

***

As expected, the water sucked him in, crashing over him and tossing him about to and fro. He wanted to scream but was quickly smothered by the waves that sought to drown him. As he finally sank beneath the water, he felt his consciously fade.

Was he going to die so soon? Was his last thought before darkness overtook him.

***

The morning sun rose slowly, bringing to light all that had been hidden hours before. The birds called out to the sky, soaring from their nest to find food and landing by the water. One such bird landed by the side of the now calm river to take a sip.

As it drew close, a small hand burst from the water and grabbed the creature. It struggled fruitlessly as the rest of the hand emerged from the water revealing a small child. Before the bird could even regret it’s choice to drink by the water that morning, it’s neck was snapped.

“Whoo! Breakfast.” Qin Rong coughed, panting as he tried to catch his breath. He looked at the now dead bird and sighed. It wasn’t much but it was definitely better than nothing.

As he prepared the bird, he tried to understand everything that had happened before.

He had definitely died before but now he was alive in the body of some kid. Like those novels his co-workers liked to talk about. That he could accept. His job made it imperative for him to adapt to changes, no matter what.

Still, being reborn in the body of a half dead kid was a bit much.

Brushing at his hair, he finally took notice to himself. He still didn’t know what he looked like now. His hair was kind of long, brushing his upper back but the color was… surely it wasn’t really blue, right?

He placed his meal by the fire to cook and walked over to the river to take a better look at himself. What he found was… both horrifying and awesome.

He was absolutely beautiful.

Even as emaciated as he was, he was still a sight to behold. His hair, though matted and tangled was a vibrant and luminous shade a blue, just a shade darker than the sky above. Eyes of pure gold stared back at him, surrounded by thick lashes that captivated the eye. Even his skin, pale possibly from his lack of exposure, was appealing, making one think of a peel egg.

This body… it was a boy, right?!

Qin Rong quickly checked, sighing with relief that had not lost such a thing to the gods of rebirth. What cruelty it would be to unmanned after being killed.

Still, the question remains, what should he do?

Whoever those guys were before seemed to have either given up on him or went some other way to find his body. He had no clue why they wanted him so badly but he couldn’t rule out that they might still be looking for him.

They claimed they needed him alive for something. Perhaps they were interrogating the kid? That would explain the starvation. Children were a lot easier to break than adults but what would they need him for? Had he been the only one or were there more within those walls.

All this ran through his mind as he ate, grimacing at flavorless bird meat easing his empty belly. As expected, it wasn’t all that filling but it was better than nothing.

He quickly destroyed his campsite and got dressed, leaving the area after covering his tracks.

He had get something more filling to eat.

***

After wandering the forest for a bit, Qin Rong couldn’t help but sigh.

“I’m going to starve!” He snapped, not caring about scaring off any potential game. It not like any had come even close to him since he’d been walking around. As if they could sense his intention to kill them, everything ran from him.

Every time they looked back (which they did every time), they’d give him a look of pure betrayal, as if he’d wronged them.

“I just want to eat, damn it!” He complained, tossing himself on the ground. In situations like this, he’d have just eaten some of the numerous berries and mushrooms he’d spotted but nothing looked familiar to him.

His old body had adapted to poisons and was basically immune but this child was nothing like that. Even worse, even if he wanted that immunity, his body was too weak to even try.

Just as the notion of munching on grass flitted by in his mind, the scent a freshly cooked meat hit him. Jumping up, Qin Rong ran toward the smell, uncaring if it was those guys again.

He just wanted to eat!

He was soon met with a high brick wall with spikes embedded at the top. Snorting, Qin Rong climbed a tree nearby to scale over the wall, rolling to stop as he jumped in. Within was a large luxurious garden, with flowers and plants that were clearly not the ones he knew.

He allowed himself to take a few fruit from the garden, figuring that people wouldn’t plant poisonous fruit in their own yard. He packed them away in his knapsack that he’d made that morning. It was mostly empty but now housed a vine he used as rope and a bunch of fruits.

Walking in deeper, Qin Rong kept his ears, making sure he wasn’t seen. There was no way of knowing whose yard he’d just broken into. Despite that, his mind was almost solely on the smell of meat coming from the place.

He soon found a small table with two equally small chairs on either side. On the table was a covered plate but he knew what was underneath.

MEAT!!!

Rushing over, he tossed the cover aside to reveal a bounty. A large roast chicken, mashed potatoes and rice as white as snow. It steamed in the air, meaning it was fresh. Qin Rong openly drooled over it.

Part of him felt bad for his desire to eat another’s food but the person who it belonged to was clearly well off so surely they wouldn’t mind him having a bite, right?

With that to ease his conscious, he dug in, cramming as much food as he could into his mouth. While he wasn’t a big fan of western food, Qin Rong was not a picky eater so went enjoyed himself immensely.

He was enjoying himself so much, he failed to notice the approach of another child until they were right behind him.

“U-um, excuse me?”


	4. Faerie Trap

Qin Rong froze, hoping he was just imagining things. There was no way he'd gotten so into eating that he failed to notice someone approaching. He was a mercenary!

"U-uh, excuse me?" A small voice called out, making the blue haired boy want to cry. He'd been caught by a damn child! He was a failure. "What are-"

Before another word could be said, Qin Rong jumped onto the table and ran, chicken leg in hand. There was no way he was going to miss out out meat.

"Wait, don't go!" The child called out, his light steps following after him. The two ran for a minute, with Qin Rong scaling the wall in seconds as the child called out to him. He wasn't sure what was said but refused to wait and see.

As the child stood there, staring up at the wall that the intruder had so easily climbed, tears formed in his eyes.

"Please don't leave me here all alone." He sniffed as he dejectedly returned to his table, the silence of the garden his only companion.

***

Elsewhere, Qin Rong was trying to catch his breath. He was relieved to have gotten some food but was disappointed he couldn't finish.

Moreover, he was kind of curious as to why there was such a large estate so deep in the wood like that. The house was western and large enough to house a good couple dozen people but why was it so remote?

Tossing the thought aside, he looked out from the treetops to find somewhere to go. He couldn't hide out in the woods forever and obviously can't learn anything about this land without interacting with anyone.

And he had to get some better clothes than the rags he was wearing.

Sometime later, he found himself in a small town and was a bit surprised. It was busy and dirty but definitely not China.

Was this some European type world? If so, it'd explain how different the buildings looked. They were tall and some had a weird shine to it.

Walking around, Qin Rong was careful to keep out of sight. He wasn't sure if the people after him had come to this town and he wasn't keen on being picked up by them. Who knows what they'd do after the caught him.

Peeking out an alleyway, he spotted some clothes hanging on someone's window sill. Pushing aside the guilt, he nimbly climbed up the wall and snagged them for himself. The food from before had given him some much needed energy.

After quickly changing into a simple outfit, he walked around, trying to find some means to get information. He was munching on the fruit he'd stolen from the house in the woods when he heard a loud crash.

Curiosity won over caution as he rushed over just in time to find quite the sight.

In the middle of the square was a large creature pulling a shimmering white wooden carriage. The creature wasn't a horse however. It was like a horse sized reptilian like creature that stood on two large legs and possessed small clawed arms.

A T-Rex?!

The t-rex was currently hiss-barking at a small child who had apparently gotten in the way of the carriage. As expected, the child was in tears as it did so, curling up into a ball. Before Qin Rong could even ask what was happening, a figure jumped from the carriage yelling profanities.

"Oi, get from there, you little brat." The short, very short, man yelled, his beard catching all the spittle his tirade produced. "I've got places to be."

Checking out the guy, he looked like an adult but his features were strange, as if he was carved from stone. Every step he took could be felt, as if the earth itself was responding to him. As the child continued to cry, the person in the carriage peeked out.

"Will you stop wasting time and just move the child." The person, whose sex was hard to determined since men weren't supposed to be that beautiful and women that beautiful shouldn't be found on earth, said. The voice was melodious and soothing but definitely male. "Just move them aside so we can go."

"Yes, Master Fenral" The stout man said, still looking annoyed as he calmed his mount. The child ran away, disappearing into the dark alleyway. Qin Rong was about to leave to gather his newly shattered thoughts when he felt someone watching him.

Looking up, he saw the beautiful man, Master Fenral, staring at him cooly. As expected, looking at a very good looking person was appealing but he could help but notice how strange he actually looked.

His hair was long and pale, almost white which complemented his slightly darker skin tone. The weird thing was his head. On top, he wore a circlet that looked like branches but some of them looked like they were coming out of his head.

Frowning, Qin Rong failed to notice the gleam in the man's eyes as he gestured toward him. He then saw the stout man turn to him and rush over, calling out to him. He ran, not slowing down until the calls were gone.

Curious thing was that the calls were in foreign language but he could tell they were calling for him.

***

Qin Rong sat on a roof top, munching on the fruit he'd taken, which he'd so lovingly named a Chapple since it tasted like a cherry and an apple. The fruit was purple though so he was a bit on the fence about the name.

He was partial to chapple but his less serious side wanted to name it a Pogole cause it sounded fantasy-y.

As he thought about this, he adjusted his newly acquired cloak that covered his head and shoulders. Watching the crowd, he saw many different hair colors and concluded that blue was not the strangest color.

From what he'd figured out, he was in some kind of fantasy world with magic and mythical creatures. He'd already spotted a couple elves and dwarves most of them were merchants. The town seemed lively and nice but Qin Rong was a wary person but nature. He wouldn't get taken unaware.

Especially since he was still being chased.

"Damn it." He whispered as he sank down to keep out of sight. Just below, Fenral and his lackey were walking down the street, the crowds parting for them. He could hear the whispers even from where he was.

"Ah, how lovely a sight to see."

"Lord Fenral truly is beautiful."

"It's scary how attractive elves can be."

"Yeah, even the men are as lovely as angels."

"Though I wonder why he's out on the street at all."

Qin Rong cursed under his breath, knowing exactly why the man was there.

He'd been following the boy around for hours now. He'd thought he'd lost them but no, they'd just ditched the carriage to follow him on foot. Qin Rong had no clue how he kept finding him but he was getting real sick and tired of this now.

Yet, despite his anger, he couldn't face them. Magic existed in this world and he had no clue what he was up against. For all he knew, Elves could fly and cause hurricanes.

As such, he ran from town, even though he wanted to stay to gain more information. He'd only learned a little bit and now, because of that bastard, he'd have to come back later.

Fucking pretty boy bastard!!!

Down below on the street, Fenral stopped, frowning as he looked up at the nearby rooftop.

"Master?" Salgut, his Dwarf companion/servant called out, standing behind the beautiful man. Despite being close in age, both over a hundred years old, Fenral was twice as tall as the slightly older man.

"It would seem that he'd ran away again." He sighed, a bit disappointed. Salgut laid a comforting hand on his masters arm.

"Don't worry, we'll find him soon enough." He assured. 

***

Qin Rong stayed in the forest, thinking it was safer than town. There were a lot of things that could go wrong there so he chose to sleep in a tree.

Despite his better judgement, he decided to go back to the house in the forest again. He wasn't sure why it was there but surely it was a better place to reside near than just anywhere.

He snuck in, tiptoeing around. The sun was setting and as expected, the yard was empty. Still, Qin Rong was wary so he moved quickly.

Like before, there was a plate of food on the table, covered but warm to the touch. After looking around, he uncovered it and ate quickly, not sure when he'd get another chance to eat. Halfway through however, he heard a branch snap and he ran, ignoring the calls to stop.

That night, he slept with a full stomach and a smile.

Elsewhere, that same night, a small boy hid under his covers, sniffling. He was disappointed he could talk to the pretty haired person.

Over the next few days, a pattern had developed. Every morning, Qin Rong would wake up, bath in the river and look for food. Most days he'd fail to catch anything in the forest and got to the forest house.

He always found a plate of food waiting for him. Despite knowing he was being watched, he'd walk in and eat, happy to eat some good food. He never managed to finish his meal though, since the child living there always tried to get close or talk to him.

Like a bird, he departed as soon as he was approached.

This day, Qin Rong noticed the plate was sitting on the third floor window sill. Curious as to why, he climbed up, eventually finding himself sitting on the sill. Just as he was about to dig in, he saw the inside of the house.

It was the first time he'd actually seen the interior of the house. The room was a large bedroom, with a large bed dominating the room. Sitting beside the bed was a familiar form.

The child, a boy about the same age as him, sat there reading a book. Curiously, the boy had black hair, a first since arriving in this world.

(AN: This world is apparently an anime where people have every other hair color but black or brown.)

The sight was assuring, making Qin Rong feel a little less out of place. While he looked like everyone else, seeing someone who looked normal was a comforting sight.

Somehow, the child seemed to feel his gaze, cause he looked up and caught sight of Qin Rong. For a moment, they stared at one another.

He even has black eyes! Qin Rong thought happily.

The boy slowly stood up, as if worried he'd scare Qin Rong away. The action was amusing. Deciding to play the part of a flippant cat, he jumped from the window sill, rolling so he could land safely on the grass below.

Looking back up, he saw the boy staring down at him, concern clear on his face. Qin Rong wasn't cruel so he show himself off by stretching, assuring the child that he was fine before running away.

The boy watched the blue haired youth run off, wishing he could get him to stay just a bit longer.

A few hours later, Qin Rong was walking back to his camp, tired from a day in town. He hadn't gotten anymore information than the day before since that Fenral bastard kept following him around.

 _One of these days I'm gonna figure out why he's so keen on stalking some kid._  He thought as he walked through a bush. Brushing a shrub aside, he stopped to see a curious sight.

In the middle of a small clearing was a large basin of still water. It was not at all hidden though someone had clearly attempted to do so since there was some branches and leaves on it. The person hadn't even bothered to bury at the very least.

Whoever had but this here clearly doesn't know how to hide a... a trap?

Staring at the basin, he briefly wondered what it was doing there and why. Just then, he heard a sound and soon found the answer to his 'who' question.

A short distance away, a child was crouching behind a bush, watching the basin.

Or at least he was trying to. From where he stood, Qin Rong could very easily spot him and stared straight at the kid. After a second, the boy noticed Qin Rong staring and flinched.

With a frightened expression, he curled up, covering his eyes as if doing so would hide him from sight.

If not for the fact that that was probably the single most adorable thing he'd ever witnessed in his life, he might have felt offended by it.

Still, he was curious as to what was going on and perhaps playing along would help solve the mystery of all the weird stuff going on. So with a quiet huff, Qin Rong jumped into the basin and waited.

The wait was short.

"A-ah! I caught you!" The boy cried out, jumping to his feet. He looked ecstatic, as if all had gone well. "It worked! I caught a faerie!"

A faerie? Is that what the kid thought he was? Was it the blue hair? Or perhaps when he jumped from the third story window before? Whatever the case, he was apparently now in a faerie trap or something.

"Oh human, please release me and I'll grant you a boon." He deadpanned, a bit curious as to this child's reason for 'catching' him. His tone was flat but being a child, the boy didn't take notice.

"A boon?" The boy frowned, a bit unfamiliar with the word. "What's that?"

"Uh..." Qin Rong wasn't expecting such a situation so explaining was a bit of a hassle. "It's kind of like a wish, I guess?" Apparently, he said the right thing, cause the boys' eyes gleamed with curiosity.

"A wish?" He gasped. "You grant wishes?"

"Within limits, I guess." He shook his head, hoping this child didn't try and wish for something unreasonable. Maybe he shouldn't have called it a wish...

The boy stared at the ground, shuffling about shyly. The sight softened his heart, making him want to pet the adorable little bun.

"Then..." He mumbled, his cheeks a bit flushed. "W-will you stay with me and be my friend?!"


	5. 'Miss' Faerie

Qin Rong stared blankly at the child, noticeably surprised by the request. Considering it was a child before him, he was expecting something more fantastical but when faced with such a humble wish, it made him feel a bit guilty for intending to just bail after being asked.

The boy, seeing Qin Rong frown, started to tremble, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Is… is that too much to ask?” He mumbled, his eyes getting more wet. Upon further inspection, Qin Rong saw that they were bright gold, an interesting color.

“No, but…” Qin Rong scratched his head, unsure how to proceed. He’d never been in a situation like this. “Is that really all you want?”

“Un.” The boy nodded, a glimmer of determination in his eyes. “I’ve never had a friend so…”

God, that was just sad. Qin Rong was alone by choice so he couldn’t imagine how lonely someone who wanted company could feel. Seeing this kid stare up at him, his only wish from what he assumed was an all powerful fairy being companionship.

What kind of monster would say no?

“Fine” He sighed, looking away. “I guess it’s better than just wandering about all day.” He really was tired. All day those two weirdos from before had been trying to catch him. He obviously got away but instinct told him not to head to town for a little while.

Much more, and he’d be nabbed by a pretty boy and his manservant.

“R-really?!” The young man jumped with joy, taking hold of his hand. His black as night eyes glimmered brightly as he beamed. “Thank you, Miss Faerie”

Qin Rong felt his eye twitch.

“Oi, who are you calling miss?!” He snapped, scowling. The boy blinked back at him, clearly confused.

“Eh? Is Miss Faerie mad?” The child frowned, looking near tears again. Qin Rong felt a sting of guilt for causing him to cry but his manly pride couldn’t let this go. “Did I say something wrong?”

“You called me miss.” He replied, crossing his arms. Qin Rong had panicked when he saw his face for the first time, thinking he might have become a girl somehow. To be mistaken by someone else was a bit... “I’m a boy.” He clarified, confidently presenting himself.

As expected, the boy looked both shocked and doubtful. Did he think he was lying?

“But Miss faerie is so pretty.” He mumbled, looking Qin Rong over. He knew what the boy saw. A pretty face with delicate features. Even though kids were generally cute, Qin Rong was exceptionally pretty, to the point where even he had doubts despite having checked before.

“I know that already but I’m a boy!” He pointed out, his scowl deepening as he grew frustrated. Thinking back to his previous life, how he wished he could be as attractive as drama stars, drawing so many eyes. His dream of being admired by hordes of beauties. Yet having been born into the body of a pretty person, he finally saw how annoying it was.

Gods, just let him be average again!

The boy looked doubtful but nodded, helping Qin Rong from the trap. As soon as he stepped from the water, Qin Rong Shivered, unconsciously clenching his hand. The boy looked up at him with a smile.

Neither of them said a word, gold eyes staring into black ones. Qin Rong considered his options, whether to allow this kid to hold his hand much longer. Generally, he disliked such casual skinship.

As if sensing his intention, the boy slipped his fingers into Qin Rong’s, his dark eyes pleading ‘Is this fine?’ The hardened mercenary who had killed and maimed thousands since he was a child felt his heart soften just the slightest bit and let out a frustrated groan.

“Fine, lets just go.” He grumbled, ignoring the sunshine that bloomed on the kids face.

***

“This is my home!” The boy proclaimed, dragging Qin Rong into the manor. As soon as they arrived, Qin Rong was shown a tour or the two story house. As expected, it was fully furnished and large yet…

“Is it just you living here?” He asked, frowning as he noted how quiet everything was. He hadn’t spotted or heard a single servant in the house since arriving. From the way the boy dressed and size of the house, he figured the kid must be rich or something. Yet the house was quiet.

“I-” The boy started, frowning a bit but stopped when they heard the front door slam open. They both flinched.

“Young Master?” A matronly voice called out, the sound of heavy items hitting the ground followed. Had she been shopping? That would explain the empty house but was she the only one? Qin Rong’s analysis was put to an end when the boy started shoving him.

“H-hide!” He whispered hurriedly as the voice started up the stairs.

“What?!”

“Please, hide! I’m not allowed to let anyone know I’m here so you must hide.” He explained, shoving Qin Rong into a closet and shutting the door. “Sorry.”

Darkness surrounded him. He sighed, letting himself relax as he listened to what was happening outside.

“Young Master?” The woman called out, her voice a bit faint. The door to the room slammed open and the footsteps stopped. “Oh, there you are, young master. Did you not hear me calling you?” She snapped, sounding annoyed.

“Sorry.” Silence fell between them for a minute. Qin Rong had suspected the two had left before the woman spoke up again.

“Were… were you talking to someone just now?” She asked, her footsteps drawing closer.

“No!” The boy replied, a bit too quickly for Qin Rong’s comfort. He was obviously lying in that kid way. Again, the older man sighed, promising himself to teach this kid how to properly lie. This was a shameful display

Surprisingly though, the servant believed him.

“...As long as you understand the risks.” She sighed, moving away from the door. Qin Rong was shocked she bought such a blatant lie but chose not to voice his objections. Being caught in a rich kid's house and being arrested was not how he wanted to end his day.

“I do.” He heard the boy muttered quietly. He must not have moved from the closet door yet. The servant continued.

“Anyway, we’ll be leaving this weeks meals in the Pantry so be sure to eat it properly.” She informed him casually, surprising the person in the closet. Yet she continued on. “Young master is a mature young man, so you don't need us to tell you to eat.”

“Yes.” The response was level and cool, sounding nothing like the excited child who stumbled over his words and feet getting him here. It was a bit disconcerting to hear a child speak like that, like drone.

“And the house looks to have been left dirty since our last visit. Did you forget to clean it up?” A brief moment of silence followed, which meant the boys response was nonverbal. “I see. Does Young master need us to clean up after him like a child?” She pushed, stepping closer again.

“No, I’ll take care of it.” Again, his responses were so cold and conditioned, it made Qin Rong want to jump out and shake the sense back into the kid. Worse yet, the servant lady hummed with joy, as if praising a dog.

“Good, then I shall be going now.” Her footsteps retreated, echoing through the empty house and ending with a slammed door. Silence fell, leaving the two young boys alone with only the wind to keep them company.

The boy had been staring at the ground when the closet door slammed open. The faerie, still as pretty as before, looked furious. He couldn’t help but stare.

“What the heck was that?” Qin Rong snapped, just barely keeping himself from cursing. It was only the fact that this kid was a child that kept him from using his much more expansive vocabulary to voice his feelings.

“Miss Faerie, I-”

“Qin. Rong!” He interrupted, stomping over. The boy stepped back until his back hit the wall. Gold eyes blazed as Qin Rong stared him down.

“Q-Qin?” He echoed, the sound completely foreign to the boy.

“Qin Rong, thats my name.” He explained, slapping his chest. It was tired of being called miss. It was already bad enough to be mistaken for a girl but to be called it so often. Just how much could a man take?! “Say it properly.”

“Yes!” Ever obedient, the boy nodded. “Q-Qin Rong.”

As he spoke this name, the boy felt very happy. This faerie trusted him enough to give his name. Names had power and the boy could already feel the threads of magic binding them together. It was faint but twinkling of energy flowing between them was clear as day.

Qin Rong, completely unaware of magic and its rules, had unintentionally bound them together in a bond. An exchange of names, true names, was something sacred and arcane. Had he known what he’d done, he might have thought better than to give the name belonging to his soul.

But that would be for a later date.

The boy wanted to give his name, to reciprocate the trust granted to him by this noble and beautiful creature but was interrupted before he could say anymore.

“Good.” Qin Rong nodded, happy this child was obedient. He wasn’t sure what he’d do otherwise. “Now answer my question.”

The boy blinked, trying to recall what was asked. He really just wanted to exchange names first but he felt Qin Rong was the impatient type.

(AN: He totally is)

“You mean about Ms Pellelot?” He answered, eager to please. “She's the lady in charge of the house.”

 _What part of her is taking care of the house?_  He thought, with a grimace.  _Her after image?_  He thought about how brief her visit had been and wanted to slap her. How dare she leave a child alone like that.

“Really?” He echoed, folding his arms as he gave the boy a disbelieving stare. “Cause I’ve been here everyday for about a week now and haven’t seen her once.”

Initially, Qin Rong hadn’t thought about the lack of servants since he was only there to steal food but looking back, he felt stupid for not noticing. The garden, while lovely, was clearly in need of tending and the grass was overgrown.

Perhaps he could weed the garden one of these days so that it wasn’t as depressing a sight. It would be a shame to let such a nice looking garden fall to ruin.

While thinking this, the boy preened under the attention he was being given. He couldn’t recall the last time someone spoke to him this long. Better still, he had been approached first!

There had been many times he’d tried to initiate a conversation with the servants only to be ignored or dismissed. He’d always just thought they were too busy but it still left him feeling alone despite a manor full of people.

Then all suddenly left all at once.

“She only comes by once a week.” He countered, feeling the need to defend the older lady. She wasn’t very nice but as a noble, it was his duty to defend the virtue of a lady.

Qin Rong, was quite the opposite. In the modern day, women were treated as equal to men so, like a man, he would hold nothing back.

Especially not a woman who so willfully abandoned a child like trash.

“… So you, a little kid, is all alone for days on end?” The boy puffed up defensively at the statement, looking Qin Rong straight in the eye.

“I’m a big kid, so I don’t need servants to hold my hand.” He proclaimed, cheeks puffed up as he presented himself to Qin Rong. He was very proud of himself.

Qin Rong cocked a brow, his eyes drifting to the messy state of the child's clothes. His shirt was unpressed, his pants legs uneven and his shoes untied. He looked every part a child who dressed themselves.

“I’m guessing that's what that lady told you.” He concluded, looking doubtful. Upon closer inspection, he noticed how unkempt the child was. He’d done a fairly good job taking care of himself but Qin Rong could tell he wasn't the best at it. “That you have to take care of yourself?”

Qin Rong had lived most of his life caring for himself, since those deemed to be his parents didn't bother to. He didn't want this kid to face the same fate.

The boy, not wanting to lie, said nothing, which was just as good as a nod.

“Figures.” He snorted, scratching his head. Truly, the adults in this world disgust him. “I bet she still collects checks while she lounges about doing nothing.”

“Checks?” The boy echoed, confused by the new word. He wanted to ask more but was cut off by Qin Rong.

“What  **does**  she do for you?” Qin Rong honestly wanted to know if she was truly worth keeping around. If she was just going to stop by once a week for five minute, tops, there was no point in her showing up at all.

Even the most self centered, minimum wage earner put more effort in their job than this chick. They at least made the effort to  **look**  like they were working.

“She drops off food every week.” He declared, looking proud to have kept his chin up during this interrogation.

Qin Rong however, stood by, waiting for the rest of the list. When he was only met with silence, his scowl deepened.

“And that's it?” He cried, shocked that the five minutes she spent in the house was her sole contribution to this child's well being. Heck, she only stayed longer because she thought someone else was there. Who knows how long she usually stayed? “She doesn’t cook or clean?”

“I can do all that!” The boy insisted, huffing as he crossed his arms. “I made cookies once.”

“Cookies?” He thought back to the other day when he spotted a plate of… he wasn’t sure what they were. He could smell that it was burnt so he steered clear of it while munching on his (totally not stolen) toast. He hadn’t thought about it until just then. “You mean those black things I found the other day?”

“Yes.” He looked away, his face a bit red. To have his creation, a humble plate of cookies called ‘black things’ was bit hurtful, though he knew it was true. “ I… left them in the oven a bit longer than I was supposed to and-”

“Never mind all that.” He waved him off, not caring anymore about that. He hadn't expected a child to be capable of baking well on his first try. Who would? “I can teach you how to cook properly later.” He tossed out, not thinking about how many future plans he was making despite his plan of leaving later. He wasn’t really thinking just then, just speaking his mind. “I have more issue with a child being left alone.”

The boy was excited, curious as to what this faerie would teach him. Yet his last sentence brought him back to the present.

“I’m not alone!” The child insisted, pouting cutely. Qin Rong just barely resisted the urge to pinch those chubby cheeks.

“Having a maid show up once a week isn’t company.” He countered, turning away so he could rid himself of these weird feelings bubbling within him. “Especially if She’s not even here long enough to wipe her feet.”

“But I’m not alone! I have Nick with me.” He stomped a foot, staring at the ground. From under his breath, he muttered. “And you too.”

Luckily for him, Qin Rong was too far to hear his words.

“Who’s Nik?” Was there more people in this place! Why hadn’t he noticed?

“My brother?” The words were soft and light, casually put out into the world with little care. But Qin Rong felt the world shift. Cause he could have sworn the house was empty.

“You have a brother?!” Qin Rong cried, wanting to scream. He prided himself on his skills so learning he had somehow missed someone was damaging to his ego. The child was unaware of this and continued on as if Qin Rong wasn’t inwardly chastising himself.

“Yeah, he’s upstairs.” He nodded, pointing up the stairs. “Do you want to meet him?” The child looked up at the slightly taller Qin Rong, eager to introduce him to Nik.

In this house, it was just the two of them, so after having met and made friends with a fae, the boy was longing to have them get to know each other.

Qin Rong, however, was not that keen on meeting anymore children. Just dealing with one was giving him a headache. Sure, the kid was cute but Qin Rong wasn’t the children kind of guy. He could barely deal with most adults, so why would he put himself through the horror of not one but two children?

Yet he had no chance to refuse, for the black haired child grabbed him by the hand and excitedly dragged him up the stairs, telling him all about how much he’d love Nik cause he was cute and obedient and the list went on. Black lines flashed across his face as he listened.

_Again with the hand holding!_

***

Upon arrival, Qin Rong was surprised to see another black haired child. Two for two, it would seem. The child was lying in bed, the large mattress almost swallowing the child whole. He looked comfortable and content, the soft snores filling the empty room.

Damn it. Qin Rong thought, sitting on the edge of the soft bed. He was cute!

The mercenary covered his face in shame, wanting to die. Why? Since when was he this weak to cute things? He usually felt little to nothing for children, generally more concerned with the present mission at hand than any of the people around. Yet less than a day into being around these two, he truly felt the desire to pinch those pudgy cheeks.

He looked between his fingers, watching the elder boy crawl up onto the bed to check his brothers temperature. It was a practiced move, one he’d clearly done many times.

“Ah, you’re fever went down a little.” He sighed, smiling sweetly. “So sleep well.”

This caught his attention.

Reaching over, he rested a hand on Nik’s head, curious. He was really warm.

“His temperature went down?”

En, he was sweating before but now he isn’t.

That… that wasn’t really good but Qin Rong wasn’t a doctor so he couldn’t be sure. Looking him over, Nik didn’t seem to be uncomfortable so perhaps he was overthinking it.

The boy watched Qin Rong look over Nik, happy to see his two favorite people getting along. Sure, Nik was still asleep but Qin Rong seemed to like him. He was sure his little brother would feel the same.

I’d like that. He thought, yawning.

“You tired?” Qin Rong looked up, cocking a brow. He nodded, rubbing his eyes. “Go to sleep then.”

In unison, they both fell back on the bed, reveling in the softness. Their simultaneous sighs echoed through the room. They stared up at the ceiling for a moment, letting the soft snores from Nik fill the air. Just as Qin Rong was thinking the boy had fallen asleep, he spoke.

“You won’t leave, right?”

“Didn’t I say I’d grant your wish?” He countered, frowning at the boy. Did he think he was a liar? “What kind of man do you think I am?”

“But you’re not a man.” He pointed out sleepily as he rubbed his eyes. Qin Rong wanted to argue the point but the boy continued. “You’re a faerie.”

The mercenary, his heart hardened by all he’d done, chuckled. Right, that's what he was. A magical creature who had granted this small child a wish. Amused, he reached out to pet the child, running a hand through his soft hair.

“That's right.” He said, lying back on the bed. With little Nik between them, it felt a little like a sleep over. Qin Rong had never had such a thing, since his home life never allowed for such indulgences, so he was liking the feeling. “And we faerie’s never go back on our word.”

“Promise?” The boy’s eyes were heavy and he was quickly losing the fight to sleep yet remained determined to get this answer from the fae. Qin Rong couldn’t help but sigh at the sight.

Boy, this kid was so fussy, constantly asking him this. Was he not trustworthy? Sure. he lied and cheated as a lifestyle but this was a new him. Surely, the boy couldn’t sense that… could he?

He wanted to be sincere so he reached over to take the boys hand. His eyes widened, shocked that the fae had taken his hand.

“I, Qin Rong, promise you that I won’t leave you.” He whispered, squeezing the boys hand. While he wasn’t sure what the future would hold but he, at the very least, wanted this child to feel content to close his eyes. To assure him he’d be there when the sun rose.

The boy, hearing his vow, felt tears well up in his eyes. He’d so wanted someone to say those words for so long, he’d forgotten how to present himself properly. So he openly cried.

“Oi oi, don’t cry, it's nor manly.” Qin Rong gently chastised, reaching over to wipe the tears away. Really, he hadn’t meant to make him cry and yet here he was, doing just that.

This was why he was no good with kids.

“Sorry, I’m just happy.” He sniffled, pressing his cheek to their joined hands. It was so warm. “I should share with you too, since you are nice enough to trust me.” He said, tightening his fingers around Qin Rong’s. His bed mate had no clue what he was talking about. Was he referring to him spending the night?

“I’ll give you my name, Qin Rong.”

It was only then that Qin Rong realized that he hadn’t bothered to learn this child’s name. For some reason, it had not occurred to him to ask. It had not struck him as odd to have spent the day with someone whose name he didn't know.

He couldn’t fathom why this was the case. Yet he felt like nothing was amiss.

Though his soul was human, his body was one familiar with the rules of the world. It knew better than to expect an exchange of names. Such an act was dangerous, one that could leave someone in danger of subjugation. But Qin Rong’s conscious mind was stronger than his body’s instincts, so he gave his name, his souls name, freely and without fear.

“So what is your name?” He asked easily, unaware of how much he was asking for.

“Xanderous Murcielago Chavin” The boy, now known as Xander, answered happily. He closed his eyes, happy to have given his name.

This left Qin Rong reeling from confusion and shock. He felt this might be a constant issue.

Xanderous?! Was that a name?

Well, obviously, it was but that was… not what he expected. What's up with the dramatic and epic name?! Are you an RPG character?

As Qin Rong contemplated this, threads of magic formed a bridge between them. Xanderous felt the threads form and connect the two of them, a bond that can't be broken. To exchange names was an act that illustrated complete trust in one another.

If one had the true name of another, they could have control over that person, easily bending others to their will. It was because of this that no one went by their true name, shortening or even changing their names to keep them safe. No one would risk giving themselves up so willingly. Even married couples were wary.

Hence why children were warned from the time they spoke their first words not to share their true names with anyone, not even their parents.

Yet Xander felt no fear, for the bond built by this was worth it. He never felt closer to someone and finally saw why some people would willingly give their name to another. It was a way to keep Qin Rong by his side, forever.

Even if they both forgot each others names, the exchange was ironclad.

**Author's Note:**

> Second Lead Syndrome: Basically when the side character, the second lead, is more well liked then the MC.
> 
> Shipping war: When fans argue with couple (canon or completely made up) is best. Steer clear of them. You'll get hurt.


End file.
